Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the inclusion of the National Health Service in a future trade agreement between the US and the UK.

The Government is prioritising UK-US FTA negotiations from April, having already laid the ground work for an ambitious agreement through joint working groups. Protecting the NHS is of the utmost importance and the UK Government’s position is that the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The NHS is protected by specific exceptions and reservations in EU trade agreements, including the recent EU-Canada agreement (CETA). As we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that rigorous protections are included in all trade agreements it is party to.